E-cadherin tissue expression and urinary soluble forms of E-cadherin in patients with bladder transitional cell carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the clinical significance of E-cadherin (E-CD) expression in human bladder transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) tissue and soluble forms of E-cadherin (sE-CD) in the urine of patients with TCC.


METHODS
One hundred and two specimens of bladder TCC and 10 normal bladder tissues were stained immunohistochemically with anti-E-CD monoclonal antibody. The urinary sE-CD from 59 subjects with TCC or controls was measured with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). All results were analyzed statistically between groups.


RESULTS
The expression of E-CD in bladder TCC correlated well with grade and stage but had no significant correlation with the size or number of the tumors. Normal expression rate of E-CD is significantly higher in primary than in recurrent tumors. The level of urinary sE-CD was higher in patients with TCC than in normal controls or patients with benign disorders of the urinary system. Urinary sE-CD levels were strongly correlated with tumor grade but showed no significant correlation with the stage, size and number of the tumors. The urinary sE-CD level is significantly higher in the recurrent group than in the primary group.


CONCLUSIONS
Expression of E-CD in the tissue of TCC and the urinary level of sE-CD are very closely associated with the biological behaviors of bladder TCC.
Shi
Benkang
B
Department of Urology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China.
Laudon
Vincent
V
Yu
Shengqiang
S
Dong
Dexin
D
Zhu
Yaofeng
Y
Xu
Zhishun
Z
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis* / Q000652:urine; D015820:Cadherins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000652:urine; D002295:Carcinoma, Transitional Cell / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology / Q000652:urine; D018450:Disease Progression; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology / Q000652:urine
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D015820:Cadherins